Mages, Templars and the Avvar
by alyssacousland
Summary: A two-chapter, one-shot sequel to 'Vengeance not Justice'. Anders never merged with Justice, Velanna did! The Battle of Kirkwall is over, and they have escaped the templars. Join Rhianna Hawke and Anders as they take Bethany to the Avvar to help her overcome the Taint!
1. Chapter 1

_**A two-chapter, one-shot sequel to Vengeance not Justice. Anders never merged with Justice, Velanna did! The Battle of Kirkwall is over and they have escaped the templars. Join Rhianna Hawke and Anders as they take Bethany to the Avvar who are the only ones that can help her with the Taint.**_

_**Once again I want to thank Apollo Wings for her help with the Avvar! Her story 'The Daughter of the Mountain' is absolutely brilliant. I encourage all those who have not read it yet to do so. The link for it is on my Favorite Stories list.**_

_**In the last chapter of 'Vengeance not Justice' Anders writes that they have already spoken to Bethany and are travelling to the Vimmark Mountains. However, when you start reading this fic, you'll see that Bethany doesn't know about the Avvar yet. You'll also realize that they are not travelling to the Vimmark Mountains at the beginning of this story. Just clearing this up in case someone realizes that these 'details' aren't exactly what Anders wrote in his journal. After all, the guy is allowed to make mistakes, right? LOL! :D **_

_**Anyway, I hope you like this short story. I'll probably write more about our heroes in one-shots concerning the events that occur before The Inquisition unfolds…hopefully! **_

_**As usual my disclaimer: Bioware owns everything! I just play with the characters! :D **_

Chapter One

They had been travelling for some time and the memory of Kirkwall now seemed to belong to a distant past – something that would most likely be summoned in a dream as they slept, only to have that dream turn into a nightmare.

When Isabela and Fenris returned with Isabela's ship, they all boarded it and Isabela informed them that they would be travelling to Orlais. Rhianna had not yet told Bethany about the Avvar, so there was no need to let Isabela know that they wanted to be left behind to trek through the mountains. After all, the Avvar settlement they had been to before was very close to the Orlesian border.

Also, there was the fact that the templars were quite possibly after them. Since the Templar Order did not travel by ship, Rhianna thought that the best way to remain undetected – and lay low – was to travel by sea for a while.

"I'm worried about Merrill," Rhianna said to Anders as they lay together in each other's arms. Isabela had given them the First Mate's room, which was bigger and far more comfortable than the rest of rooms in the sleeping quarters. The only other good bed on the ship was in the Captain's Quarters, which Isabela and Fenris would probably put to good use as soon as they could. Not that Anders and Rhianna were complaining. As soon as they had been shown where they would be sleeping, they had locked themselves in and made love passionately – stopping only to catch their breaths. "When we left the deck she was heaving uncontrollably, holding onto the rail."

"Hmmmm?" Anders replied absentmindedly, distracted by Rhianna's soft, warm skin which he was caressing gently as she lay in his arms.

Narrowing her eyes, Rhianna looked up quickly and punched his shoulder hard.

"Ow!" Anders cried out, a hurt look in his eyes. "Why'd you do that for?"

"Because you aren't listening to a word I'm saying, that's why!"

"_I am too_!" he pouted, rubbing his shoulder.

"Then what did I just tell you?"

"Merrill needs some healing!" Anders replied as he sat up, then moved towards his smalls, tunic, trousers and coat that lay on the floor next to the bed in a heap, and started getting dressed.

"You just seemed so distracted that I assumed –," Rhianna shook her head with a sigh. Anders's crestfallen look melted her heart. "Oh, don't look at me like that! I'm sorry I doubted you, my darling. Will that do?"

"Hmmm. I'll think about it," he smirked. "Don't go anywhere!"

"I wouldn't dream of it," Rhianna replied with a seductive smile.

Anders chuckled as he left the room, closing the door behind him. As he climbed the wooden stairs that took him up to the deck, he breathed in the night air and the smell of the sea. Looking up, he gazed at the stars shining brightly in the sky which painted such a lovely picture, it made him smile. When he reached Merrill, who was still leaning over the side of the ship grasping the rail, however, he was truly sorry he hadn't come to see her sooner. She was violently vomiting into the sea below, stopping only to cry out that she felt sick.

"Um, Merrill?" he approached her cautiously, his voice gentle and low. "I'm here to help you…"

Merrill let go of the rail and faced him, her lower lip wobbling as the tears streamed down her face. "I can't stop –"she cried, a deathly white pallor to her skin.

"Don't you dare let her vomit all over the deck!" Isabela called from the raised dais where the steering wheel was. "If she does, _you're_ cleaning it up!"

And of course, before Anders could successfully maneuver Merrill back to the rail, she suddenly heaved and vomited all over Anders's boots and the deck floor.

Isabela turned to Fenris who was standing nearby watching it all with an amused expression on his face. "Take the wheel for a few minutes like I've taught you," she told the white-haired elf. Fenris grasped the wheel with a nod. Isabela disappeared down the stairs that led into the ship. She emerged a few minutes later, carrying a wooden bucket and a mop. She gave them to Anders, who looked at her miserably.

"There are a couple of barrels of water over there," she pointed. "Wash yourself and clean it all up. I want it sparkling clean." Then she turned and went back to the wheel without a backward glance.

"Aye, Captain," Anders muttered under his breath. He quickly cast a rejuvenating spell on Merrill, who stopped vomiting – though she still looked rather green – and walked towards one of the barrels a couple of feet away, realizing with a sigh that Rhianna would most certainly be asleep by the time he was done.

…

A couple of weeks later, they were all on deck when Isabela informed them they would be reaching Cumberland soon. Rhianna didn't want them to dock there at first, since they could be spotted, while Varric argued that they could easily be missed in a crowd of people.

"I have to return to the Free Marches," Bethany said interrupting the discussion. "The wardens will probably wonder where I've run off to."

"I don't think they'll actually care too much, to be honest," Anders commented. "I thought they would come looking for me when I left, and here I am."

"Umm, yes, about you leaving," Rhianna ventured. "We wanted to take you somewhere else first, Bethany."

Bethany turned to look straight at Rhianna with a questioning glance.

"Well, when we were at Chateau Haine, we discovered an old altar…" Rhianna began with a smile.

"This is about the Taint again, isn't it?" Varric piped in with a sigh. "Why come with us all this way, when you three could have simply headed to the Vimmark Mountains directly?"

"Taint? What do you mean, Varric?" Bethany asked curiously.

"There's an Avvar village in the mountains," Rhianna explained. "They carried out a ritual that helped Anders with the Taint."

"The Avvar can cure the Taint?" Bethany asked, something akin to hope in her eyes. "And who are the Avvar? I've never even heard of them!"

"Well, not cure exactly. I _still_ carry the Taint," Anders said. "I think it depends on how long you've been infected. In my case, a lot longer than you, so I feel it's been reduced and even though there's hardly any left, it's still there."

"You'd probably still carry the Taint, Sister," Rhianna added thoughtfully. "But only because it's already spreading. One of the Avvar clan had just been infected, so they were able to cure the Taint completely in his case."

"But they only helped Anders because he was a Grey Warden and we had just saved them from a darkspawn attack," Varric added. "What makes you think they'd help Bethany now?"

"The Avvar keep to themselves, that's true," Rhianna supplied with a frown, then turned back to Bethany. "They prefer to live in seclusion, where they can be free. This is the only clan we know of in the Vimmark Mountains. The rest of them are in Ferelden, somewhere in the Frostback Mountains. They wander around a lot, which is why I think they are so hard to find."

"They're descendants of the Alamarri, who fought the Tevinter Imperium. The dwarves of Orzammar respect them," Varric added. "You know how Calenhad the Great united the tribes of Ferelden into well... Fereldans? He didn't invite the Avvars…They're almost how the Alamarri would have been if Calenhad didn't happen."

"So it isn't a complete cure, right? I mean, you still have it, Anders," Bethany said. "I can still feel it in you, though not as strongly as before. And yet…sometimes I can't feel it at all…"

"It's been reduced, yes," Anders nodded. "Though I've performed scans on myself, and it's not spreading either. I might not even have to go back into the Deep Roads at all later on, since it looks like it's contained and not spreading. Oh, and no nightmares since the Avvar, too!"

Bethany was so surprised, she could only stare at Anders with wide-open eyes for a few moments before she finally spoke.

"No more nightmares or whispers? No Calling? Oh, we _must_ go see the Avvar, sister!"

"We wanted to take you there to see them right after all the mess at Kirkwall," Rhianna added. "But I thought it better if we disappeared, which is why we have been travelling around with all of you. I don't think the templars can track a ship."

"They still have my phylactery," Anders frowned. "And the way I left Amaranthine…well…I'm guessing that they could probably find me if they were looking!"

"We sided with the mages and defended them," Rhianna said. "That's probably why we're being hunted. I thought the best thing we could do was hide. That's why we're on a ship instead of travelling by land."

"We could have just as easily disappeared in the Vimmark Mountains, love," Anders smiled.

"That's also true," Rhianna agreed. "But I didn't want to risk it. We disappeared when we boarded this ship. I think they're searching for us all over, but we're nowhere on land. And there's been no sign of us for nearly three weeks, now."

"It's quite a disappearing act," Varric chuckled.

"I have to get a crew," Isabela announced. "I need a first mate."

"I thought _I _was your first mate," Fenris commented, looking directly at Isabela. "It seems I was wrong…"

"We need someone who can pilot this ship while we're…_resting_," Isabela smiled.

"Then it's better for us all if the three of us leave," Rhianna said. "You'll not be scrutinized if it's just Isabela and you. It's a group of people they're looking for…_IF_ they're looking for us at all."

"We want to travel to Ferelden," Aveline said glancing at Donnic briefly. "King Alistair will probably offer us a place there, with the guard."

"I should return to Kirkwall, to keep an eye on things," Varric mused. "But I think Hawke is right. We should continue to lay low…at least for a time."

"They'd look for us in Ferelden, but the king seems reasonable enough," Rhianna said to Aveline with a chuckle. "Meredith didn't like him so I'm guessing you two would be fine there. I don't think we should go to Ferelden so soon, however. It's a bit risky for me to be there at the moment."

"I have an idea," Isabela said with a smile. "You two can stay aboard the ship. Fenris and I could test the waters in Cumberland, see if they're looking for you and…rent a room at an inn nearest to the Docks. We can get more supplies and stock up. Then I can take Aveline and Donnic to Ferelden."

"Since you need a crew, I'd say the best place to get it would be in Cumberland, Isabela," Rhianna said with a frown. "We'll wait for you to return with news, but then I think we should leave and travel back to the Vimmark Mountains on foot with Bethany."

"I agree," Anders said. "What do you say, Bethany?"

"Of course!" Bethany added cheerfully. "I'd love to see if the Avvar can help me with the Taint! In fact, I'd be willing to leave right away!"

"Can I travel with you?" Merrill asked in a small voice, still looking pale and wan. "I don't think travelling by boat suits me at all."

"With Anders gone, I don't think you should either," Isabela agreed. "You'd only spend the whole journey sick on the ship and there would be no one to heal you. That's no way to travel."

"Sure you can!" Rhianna nodded at Merrill with a smile. "Orana is coming with us, too. I don't think she could make it on her own in a city or in the wilderness. It would be too dangerous for her."

"She couldn't survive on her own," Fenris nodded. "And you'd take good care of her."

"Then it's settled," Rhianna added, then turned to look at her sister. "We're off to the Avvar in the Vimmark Mountains!"

…

"Word of the 'Battle of Kirkwall' is all over this place!" Isabela told Rhianna and the rest of the group as soon as she and Fenris boarded her ship the following morning. "Everyone is talking about the remaining mages escaping what was once the circle in Kirkwall. There are a lot of templars in the city!"

"I heard rumors that the Grand Enchanter was asking to meet with representatives from the rest of the circles in Thedas here in Cumberland while I was waiting for Isabela at the inn," Fenris said in a monotone. "If this is true, we should try not to draw attention to ourselves since the templars already want to arrest us for siding with the mages."

"You were right, Kitten. They _are _looking for us," Isabela told Hawke. "But for the whole group. I didn't take Fenris with me when I went around the city to eavesdrop because of his tattoos. Nobody even noticed me."

"With what you're wearing, I would have thought differently, but maybe that's just me," muttered Anders, who was standing behind Rhianna, his arms around her protectively.

Isabela aimed a dark look in his direction, but otherwise ignored the jab. "I think the four of you should leave as soon as possible, and then we should set course for Ferelden to drop Aveline and Donnic off."

"You'll be docking in the docks of Denerim not Amaranthine, right?" Aveline asked and Isabela nodded at her question.

"We'll set sail for Antiva afterwards, then head out to Rivain, stopping at all the town ports and docks along the way, Hawke."

"We should come up with some names to keep in touch," Rhianna added thoughtfully. "If we have different names, they won't catch on if the missives fall into the wrong hands."

"That's a great idea!" Varric said. "Also, how long would it take us to get to Ferelden, Isabela?"

"I have to first find a small crew to help me out here, so I don't expect we'll be sailing anytime soon," Isabela replied. "Why?"

"If it's been long enough, I'd like to return to Kirkwall," Varric said. "I really need to be close to Bartrand since he's in an asylum. I have business to take care of in the Merchants' Guild as well."

"We'll drop you off once we set sail for Antiva," Isabela promised. "I need to start smuggling again, or I won't be able to pay my crew. I had a few contacts here in Cumberland, so I think I should go meet them soon."

Rhianna nodded, her brow furrowed slightly as she thought about fake names they could use. They really didn't need them to travel, but she wanted to send letters to her friends every now and then.

"How about 'Nicolaus' for me and 'Raven' for you?" Anders said out loud glancing briefly at Rhianna, who looked up at him. "Merrill could be Darlah and Bethany could be…"

"Evelyn?" Bethany supplied hopefully.

"We fought a blood mage whose name was Evelina, sister," Rhianna frowned slightly. "I don't want to be reminded of that."

"She nearly tore a hole in my coat when she became a rage demon!" Anders pouted.

"Well, you need to throw away that coat anyway," Merrill said in a dry voice. "I mean, _look_ at it! It looks like it's going to fall off any minute now!"

Anders narrowed his eyes as he glanced at her, but she was looking down at the wooden floor of the deck and didn't see this. She still looking pale and rather sick, however, so he decided to ignore the comment she'd made.

Varric chuckled and everyone turned to look at him.

"What? I just thought the coat comment was funny!" the dwarf said in a defensive tone.

"It's ok, Bethany," Rhianna sighed. "I think we can call you Evelyn if you really like the name! It won't be for very long, because we'll be dropping you off at the Wardens' Outpost in Ansburg once we're done with the Avvar."

"And after that, it'll be one long adventure, won't it?" Anders asked Rhianna with a lopsided grin.

"One long heck of an adventure," Rhianna agreed with a grin. "A rogue, two mages and an elf…looking for a place to hide."

"Running away has always been on the top of my list because it was such an adventure. Running away with you will make every step of the journey _so_ worthwhile, love," Anders practically crooned, squeezing her hand gently.

…

The following day Merrill, Orana, Hawke and Anders said goodbye to the rest of the group and set out towards the Vimmark Mountains. To say that their goodbyes were emotional was an understatement. Even Isabela shed a few tears while embracing Rhianna, and she never got emotional about anything.

When they finally set out towards their destination, Rhianna was still crying. Ser Whiskers meowed from Anders's feathered pauldron as if saying goodbye to the friends they were leaving behind and the four of them were silent all day as they trekked along the coast. When they arrived at a secluded spot that overlooked the sea, they set up camp for the night. Orana cooked some soup over the fire that Anders had started and the meal was a very quiet one.

They arrived at the Planasene Forest in two weeks, only stopping in a very small village to replenish their supplies before entering the forest proper. There was a small inn in the village, and the village smithy had repaired Hawke's armor and sharpened her daggers while Merrill and Bethany stood nearby quietly.

"Thar's sumthin' different about ye. Are ye lookin' for trouble?" the smith said giving Rhianna a suspicious look, his eyes immediately falling on Anders, Bethany and Merrill.

"No, we're just travelers," Rhianna replied calmly. The man grunted then looked at Merrill again who fidgeted nervously.

"Yer nobles, then?" the man persisted with the interrogation. "Yer got two knife-ears wif ye. They servants?"

"I'm taking them to my sister's farm in Antiva," Rhianna lied easily with a nonchalant shrug. "They're just traveling with me."

"Hmmm," the man responded. "Yer 'ungry? Wifey cooks at the inn."

"Thanks," Rhianna replied giving the man a brilliant smile. She took out a gold coin and took her armor and daggers. The man's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Yer rich! Ne'er saw a gold 'un, 'afore!" he managed to say, still staring at the coin in his hand.

"We just want to get something to eat, and be on our way," Anders answered coolly.

"Aye. I'll talk to the wife," he slipped into the inn ahead of them and Rhianna frowned.

"Do NOT use your staffs, but have a spell ready," she whispered to Bethany, Anders and Merrill as she slipped into her leather armor. "I've a feeling we're about to be ambushed. Orana, stay behind us!"

"Yes, Mistress," Orana's voice quavered as she replied in a worried tone.

Hawke waited for the three mages to focus on their respective spells and turned the door latch to open the door, which she did very slowly.

As soon as they stepped into the inn, four burly men with knives stood up from one of the tables. One of them was the blacksmith.

"We donna care where you come from or why yer here. We need yer money to live!"

The mages stood frozen waiting for Rhianna's signal, but she shook her head at the smith. "I can pay you more for the food, but please don't fight us. You don't need to die here today, friend."

"Please, Maurevar, don't do this! If you die, how can I manage the farm and the inn?" A middle-aged woman wailed behind a counter.

"Listen to your wife," Rhianna said in a low voice. "We have better weapons. Don't throw away your lives, please."

Two of the four men had already lowered their knives. The blacksmith and another tall, fat man standing next to him were the only two still pointing their knives at the group.

"Thar's a war startin'! We's 'ungry! And ye rich 'uns don't care about us!" he yelled, as the hand that held his knife began to shake.

"War?" Anders spoke out and the smithy fixed his eyes on him while he nodded.

"Mages 'n templars killin' themselfs, the templars came 'ere. My daughter had magic, they killed 'er!"

Rhianna lowered her daggers, a sad look on her face. "That's terrible!" she murmured.

"The templars were angry because she escaped the circle in Kirkwall, where everything happened! She ran away to escape being killed in the battle! But them templars…they called her a blood mage and killed my baby!" the smith's wife sobbed, the tears running down her face. "My daughter was good, she wasn't a blood mage. She was going to help us with the farm and the inn! And now she's dead!"

"They killed my babe, they did!" the smith now lowered the knife and put it back on the table, encouraging his friend to do the same. "An' now, we have nuthin' but the farm and the inn. Nobody comes to our village."

Rhianna stepped forward and deposited a coin purse in the woman's hands. "This is something for you. Get some horses to help you plough the land. You can also use the coin to get more supplies at the nearest town."

The woman had curiously opened the coin purse and her jaw nearly hit the floor. "This is thirty sovereigns, My Lady! Are you sure you want to give this to us?"

Anders grinned at the smith's wife. "Oh, I'm sure! She never would have given the coin purse to you if she wasn't willing to part with it."

…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

They set out into the forest early the next morning, their packs full of supplies and food.

"Do we have any money left after this, sister?" Bethany asked with a quavering voice. "For more supplies and such?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, Bethany," Anders chuckled. "Your sister is quite rich, thanks to Duke Prosper."

"Who's Duke Prosper?" Bethany shot back, intrigued.

Anders laughed and started to tell the tale as they continued their journey. Soon, they were deep inside the forest, looking for the first sign of the mountains they were travelling to.

Rhianna kept a smile on her face until they entered a part of the forest that was much darker, where the trees grew so close to one another, the sunlight did not reach the ground they were walking on. Coincidently, Anders had just finished telling Bethany the whole story and all of them fell silent, uneasiness slowly growing among the group with every step they took.

They had been walking at a reasonable pace, but Rhianna suddenly slowed down, frowning as she peered through the darkness. Anders was on edge too, while Merrill looked upwards most of the time with a frown on her face. Orana said nothing, but chose to walk very close to Hawke and Anders, fearful of any leaves that rustled when the breeze disturbed them.

"Why do I feel like I'm being watched?" Rhianna whispered nervously to Anders after a while.

"Maybe because I feel it, too?" Anders replied, looking around nervously.

"There is definitely something here," Bethany whispered as well. "And it doesn't want us here."

"We stay close together," Rhianna replied. "Safety in numbers, right? Orana, stay close!"

The elven woman was so frightened, she could not even utter a syllable – but she was right behind Hawke.

They heard a rustling noise on their right and turned to face it, their weapons drawn. The rustling suddenly stopped, and they did not hear another sound for a few moments.

"I think –," Anders began, but Rhianna shushed him as she tilted her head and continued to listen hard.

Nothing.

Rhianna pursed her lips, lowering her daggers. Her nerves were stretched thin. What kind of enemy does this? Why wasn't it attacking them directly? Rhianna shook her head as she finally sheathed her weapons.

"Let's try not to let our guard down. There is definitely something here with us, and I don't like that it's toying with us. Be ready," Rhianna whispered to the rest.

They continued their march through the darkness, pausing here and there just to see if they heard anything as they walked.

"Do you hear that, Hawke?" Merrill whispered.

"What?" Rhianna replied in a very low voice, her hands now on the hilts of her daggers.

"That's what I mean! We can't hear anything! Where are all the woodland animals?" Merrill whispered back. "It's like this forest is empty of life!"

"It isn't darkspawn, is it?" Anders asked, his voice as quiet as Merrill's.

"No. I can't feel the Taint at all," Bethany replied. "This is something different…"

"Let's move on, but cautiously and very slowly. We must reach the end of this forest before nightfall!" Rhianna exclaimed, trying to ignore the fear that she was feeling.

The four friends kept on walking until they finally saw that the trees were beginning to thin. They didn't let their guard down, however, and this proved to be what saved their lives.

"I can see what looks to be a field up ahead and mountains in the distance. Let's hurry!" Rhianna said as she picked up the pace.

At that moment, they heard the rustling again, but this time, it was coming from the right, left and behind them. They instantly turned to face the sounds with their weapons drawn, waiting to see if what was making the noises would finally reveal itself.

A small child stepped out of the woods into the small clearing where the group stood, eyes open in fear and Rhianna blinked back in surprise. The little girl was breathing with difficulty, almost as if she had been running and could not catch her breath.

Rhianna lowered her weapons a bit, but Merrill had already sheathed her staff. "Don't worry, Da'len, she told the child. "We aren't going to hurt you!"

"Merrill!" Anders whispered urgently, his staff still aimed directly at the little girl. "Don't…"

Rhianna suddenly threw a smoke bomb at her feet and disappeared. Merrill took a step back and the little girl started to smile. Rhianna appeared behind the child, ready to backstab her, but the girl whirled around quickly to face her, her smile sending chills up and down Rhianna's spine. Quite suddenly she found herself paralyzed and watched as the girl slowly grew in size and turned into a demon – its skin brown and putrid, pieces of skin and flesh falling from its face. Its eyes were dark red and full of hate and malicious intent. Tentacles sprouted from the creature's back as it readied itself for an attack.

Anders cried out from where he stood, slamming his staff to the ground with such a force, it cracked the ground. The demon started to whirl around at a tremendous speed, pulling everything it could towards it: leaves, sticks, branches and pieces of loose earth. Hawke and her companions felt the pull as they slowly inched towards her against their wills. Bethany murmured the words to a firebolt spell that the demon shrugged off nonchalantly and Merrill tried to ensnare it, but the roots disintegrated before their very eyes. Anders managed to freeze it solid for a few seconds, allowing Rhianna to break free from the paralysis spell at least.

The blond mage tried a bolt of lightning next and the demon stopped in its tracks, jerking around until the spell wore off. It tried to regain its power over them, but Rhianna had already stepped close to the thing and sank her blades deep into its putrid chest. The demon let out a screech that was deafening and then crumbled to the earth.

"Andraste's knickerweasels!" Anders exclaimed, still visibly shaken from the encounter. "Never seen one of those before – and I thought I'd seen it all!"

Rhianna sheathed her daggers, shaking her head while she chuckled. "It was a strange one, I agree."

"Do you think it's because of all that we've been hearing, sister? So much death must bring forth other Fade creatures, don't you think?" Bethany asked.

"I don't know. But we best be on our guard at all times," Rhianna said thoughtfully. "This 'war' that they are talking about…if it is indeed a mage-templar war, it will only get worse. Who knows what other kind of demons can cross the Veil, given enough power to do so?"

…

They made their way up the mountainside until it got dark. Luckily for them, there was an opening on the side of the mountain that served as a cave of sorts so they set up camp there. Exhausted from their harrowing encounter several hours before, they fell asleep almost immediately after dinner, waking up at first light the following morning.

"I can see a plateau up at the top," Rhianna announced as the rest finished packing. "The Avvar could be living there now."

"They move around a lot, so you could be right, love," Anders agreed.

"We'll have to climb up through all the snow to reach it," Bethany said. "Let's put on our warm cloaks."

They agreed with Bethany and dressed accordingly, then began their slow ascent up the mountain.

By the end of the day, they had reached the plateau indeed. Further ahead, Rhianna could see a few tents and wooden cabins. She smiled as she picked up the pace, eager to reach the town.

"They've probably put up a protective shield like they did before," Anders cautioned Rhianna. "Try to be careful, or you'll end up slamming into it like Fenris did."

"You're right," Rhianna grinned. "How about you 'feel' around for magical shields and wards? That way no one will bump into anything!"

Anders smiled as he stepped forward, raising his hands – his palms facing the air in front of him. He remained that way in deep concentration for a few minutes. The soft blue-white light that sprung from his palms and fingertips sent out a beam, that seemed to stop at some kind of invisible wall, not ten steps away from where they were standing.

At that moment, a man dressed in furs approached the invisible barrier.

"Outsiders!" he called out to Anders and the rest of the group. "You are lowlanders and not welcome here among us!"

"We're looking for the shaman," Rhianna said calmly with a smile on her face. "Signy An Ingigeror O Oss. She is a friend of ours."

"You are outsiders and have a shaman of your own! What business do you have with ours?" The man practically snarled at Rhianna.

"We need her help," Anders replied before Rhianna could.

"We've been here before," Rhianna added. "She knows us."

"Are you the lowlanders that helped us fight the evil ones that came from below?"

"Yes," Rhianna nodded.

"I will talk to Ingigeror An Thorarna and bring her to you. Stay here!"

The man turned and left them standing there. Rhianna turned a smiling face to Bethany.

"Don't look so sad, sister!" the rogue chuckled. "You look like you've lost your favorite pet or something!"

"I'm just so worried that they'll attack us or something! They seem to be very hostile!" Bethany said in a worried tone.

"Oh, if they wanted to kill us, they would have by now, so don't worry about it, sister," Rhianna grinned.

…

"Shaman Anders!" came a shout from the other side of the magical barrier. A wisp of a girl smiled at him as she let down the protective wards. "What are you doing here? Hello, Rhianna Hawke!"

Rhianna chuckled at the young girl, but after stepping forward to greet her with a handshake, she was surprised when the girl suddenly flew into her arms and gave her a hug. The girl then flung herself into Anders's arms. Ser Whiskers mewed in protest, though nobody could say if it was because it wanted to be hugged as well or because it didn't like a stranger hugging its master.

"Your cat, Shaman Anders?" the pretty fourteen-year-old laughed.

"Yes," Anders chuckled as he broke the embrace and petted Ser Whiskers. "You didn't meet him before because we left him at home!"

The girl petted the white cat and Ser Whiskers purred. She laughed as an older woman approached the group.

"Welcome, Shaman Anders!" she turned to look at Rhianna and her smile deepened slightly. "Rhianna Hawke, welcome! What brings you here?"

"Ingigeror An Thorarna O Oss," Rhianna grinned. "I'm happy to see you are hale!"

Ingigeror's smile widened and she turned a curious glance at Bethany, Orana and Merrill.

"You have brought others with you," the dark-haired woman acknowledged with a nod to the rest. "They are not all shaman, though, but I greet the Children of Shartan to our humble home."

"This is my sister, Bethany," Rhianna said as she gestured to Bethany to approach them. "She is also a shaman. Magic runs strong in my family as I told you when we were last here."

Ingigeror nodded to this, still smiling.

"And this is Merrill, who is a Dalish shaman, and Orana, who is a family friend," Rhianna introduced the only two elves in the group.

"You must join us for our evening meal," Ingigeror said. "I am sure Signy would love to have you stay forever if she had a say in this."

The fourteen-year-old redhead laughed at this. "Oh, mother. You know that is not true. But I would love to talk to our friends and keep them close for a while!"

"We couldn't leave if we tried, Signy!" Rhianna smiled. "Night is falling and we don't want to climb down a treacherous snowy mountainside in the dark!"

"Aye!" the girl laughed. "It would be terrible to see you rolling down the mountain like a ball of snow!"

"Come, friends to the Avvar!" Ingigeror urged them to follow her. "I am sure my brother would like to welcome you also."

…

The friends talked during dinner and around the fire afterwards. The Jarl, who was Ingigeror's brother, welcomed them warmly as well and offered rooms and beds for them during their stay.

"Why are you here?" Ingigeror asked curiously. "We are happy to see you, but you cannot have climbed the mountains just to say hello and be on your way?"

"I know why they are here, mother," Signy said, looking up at Bethany whose eyes now were widening slightly. "She has the darkness. She carries the Taint in her."

"Ah, I see," the dark-haired woman replied. "You wish us to help with the curse of the Taint your sister carries?"

"Yes, please," Rhianna nodded. "We know that the Taint will be reduced and it will not spread after the Ritual. I love Bethany dearly, but she is a Grey Warden. I do not want her to die in the Deep Roads."

There was a sadness in Ingigeror's eyes when she heard Hawke's words.

"The Ritual is very tiring for my daughter," the dark-haired woman said softly. "But I already see she wishes to help you. It is her decision and I respect it. However, we must wait until morning comes as she needs to rest and so do you."

"You saved our lives," the Jarl rumbled. "We are forever in your debt. I will also respect the decision my niece has made. We must get some rest for now. I will see you in the morning."

Signy embraced Bethany before they left and Bethany was shocked by the display of affection. She liked the child well enough and she felt welcome among the Avvar. With a smile, she realized that after tomorrow morning she would most likely be getting a good night's sleep – the first since she had been tainted. Her heart did a flip as it filled with happiness and hope. Mere words could not express what she was feeling, but she would try to convey what she felt to Signy the best she could.

So she hugged Signy back.

…

The Ritual went pretty much the same as it had been done for the Jarl and Anders nearly a year before. The spirit of Imhar the fox even showed his favor by acknowledging Anders as if greeting an old friend. When the Ritual was over, Bethany fainted – much as Anders had when the Taint had been contained for him. They carried Bethany into a bed in one of the rooms and went back to talk to Ingigeror and share a midday meal with their friends.

"Your sister loves you dearly," Ingigeror said softly as she ate.

"I am happy I helped her," Signy smiled. She then turned to Merrill and tilted her head to the side as she looked at her.

"Why are you so unhappy, Child of Shartan?" she asked Merrill, her blue eyes suddenly sad.

Jarl Geirhildr Ar Thorarna finished eating and stood up. He bowed to his friends. "I need to go see my people as I always do in the mornings. Please, continue your meal. I will see you all later."

They nodded and smiled up at the Jarl as he turned and left, but Merrill had a troubled look on her face. Signy once again fixed her eyes on the elf and she waited patiently for her reply.

"I…did some things. And because of me and my decisions, my clan is now no more," the Dalish elf stammered. She burst into tears, no longer able to contain the pain in her heart.

Signy did not reply, but she scooted over to where Merrill was sitting and grasped her hand.

"I am sorry," the young girl whispered sadly.

Merrill gave Signy a hug, the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Let us walk for a while, my friends," Ingigeror said softly. "My daughter will try to lessen your friend's pain."

Rhianna, Anders and Orana stood up and left Merrill with Signy. As soon as they stepped outside, Rhianna took in a breath of fresh air and nodded to some of the clans-people as they walked by. Two of them nodded back, but most of the villagers just spared Rhianna and her group a serious glance.

"The fields need some work, so I will see to that now," Ingigeror said. "Please, make yourselves at home."

"We'd love to help, if you don't mind us doing so," Rhianna offered kindly.

Ingigeror smiled at Rhianna's words and nodded a few moments later. "Very well," she finally said with a smile. "Come with me, please."

…

They stayed with the Avvar for a week and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. They learned their ways, and how to make themselves useful to the clan. As Rhianna so aptly put it: "_There are ways to be useful that don't involve pointy objects or staves!_"

At the end of the week, they packed and were ready to leave right after breakfast. But then Merrill approached Rhianna, with Signy close behind her, and smiled.

"Lethallan," she said slowly. "Signy has already discussed this with her clan and wanted to know if I wouldn't mind staying with them. I think it would be good for me to stay. I would have a clan again and I want to learn their ways and culture."

Rhianna was taken aback. "Are you sure, Merrill? They aren't elves. You won't regret making this decision?"

"Like I regretted making so many decisions in my past?" Merrill shook her head and sighed. "No, Lethallan. I am quite sure that I'm doing the right thing now. I stopped using blood magic. Everything that reminds me of how foolish I was in the past is gone."

"The more important question here is if you think you will be happy," Anders hurried to say with a tender look at the Dalish elf. "If you think you will be, then maybe it's time for you to find your place. And maybe finding it means you have to live here for a while."

"Oh, I don't think it will be permanent," Merrill nodded in agreement. "But they greatly value magic, and Signy wants to teach me her magic as well. I think I will be happy here. I never liked living in the city of Kirkwall. And an elf like me doesn't really have many options in Thedas. With my clan gone, I can just try to help others as much as I can. And I choose to start here."

"She will teach me the magic of the Children of Shartan!" Signy said happily. "I am very happy and I hope you understand!"

Anders smiled at the girl's radiantly happy face and chuckled.

"If you're sure that this is where you belong at the moment, then, so be it," Rhianna finally said with a smile. "I'll miss you a lot, though!"

"I will as well," Anders murmured with a smile. "We'll come back someday to visit and see how you are doing."

"We would love to see you again, Shaman Anders and Rhianna Hawke!" Signy then turned to Bethany. "You will stop being sad now, Bethany Hawke?"

Bethany laughed. "Yes, I will! Though I'll probably return to the keep at Ansburg. I will try not to draw attention to myself and will certainly keep the taint reduction a secret!"

"I think some of them will probably notice something is amiss, but if you stay in a group, they won't notice much," Anders mused. "Although since you still have the Taint, you might not need to hide that it's been reduced. They'd have to get a powerful healer for that in order to scan you and why would they do that?"

Bethany laughed. "I'm a better healer than any of the wardens currently at Ansburg. In fact, I am the _only_ healer there! We're recruiting though…"

"Oh, no! Don't you ever mention me!" Anders looked aghast. Bethany giggled.

"You take care Signy! And take care of Merrill!" Rhianna said.

By this time both the Jarl and Ingigeror had joined Signy to say goodbye. They were surprised to find themselves surrounded by more of the clan this time around. Anders, Rhianna, Bethany, Orana and Merrill had helped them so much that they majority of the Avvar had grown to like them and considered them friends.

The goodbyes were tearful on Rhianna and Merrill's part and less on Anders's part. Soon afterwards they set off towards Ansburg, with Rhianna and Anders taking the lead.

"She'll be fine," Rhianna smiled up at the blond mage, who was lost in thought.

"I don't doubt that," Anders said slowly. "It's curious, though…"

"What is, love?" Rhianna hurried to ask.

"Well, I felt like I was saying goodbye to a younger sister," he replied with a sigh. "Merrill had certainly grown on me. I'll miss her."

"Meow!" cried Ser Whiskers from his shoulder, batting at his cheek.

"Oh, yes, kitty," crooned Anders. "I know you're sorry to leave, too!"

…

They stood at the gates leading to the impressive fortress in Ansburg, home of the Free Marches Wardens. Bethany was embracing her sister and not letting go at the moment, while Orana wept silently in the background as Bethany had already said goodbye to her.

"I'll write, sister!" Rhianna said as she kissed her younger sister's cheek. "I promise!"

"See that she does, brother, will you?" Bethany asked Anders with a quavering voice.

Anders smiled at the term of endearment that Bethany used for him as she flung her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"We'll keep in touch, sister," the blonde mage replied, hugging her back. "I won't get off her back until she writes, I promise!"

"Hmm," Rhianna said with twinkling eyes. "If you won't get off my back until I write, then I might not write at all!"

They burst out laughing to that, and Anders took Rhianna's hand and squeezed. "Not just your back either," he smirked.

"Get a room, why don't you!" Bethany exclaimed as she laughed.

"You started it!" Anders retorted with a chuckle.

They gave each other a final hug then turned to leave, walking now across the bridge that led to the gates. Bethany turned and entered the keep with a sigh, then hurried to report to her Commanding Officer.

They walked along the coast until they reached a secluded area and busied themselves setting up camp. They had been walking all day and needed a more substantial meal than cheese and bread as well as a good night's sleep. Orana busied herself cooking a rabbit that Rhianna had managed to hunt and kill and soon they were eating that with some vegetables.

The meal was a quiet one as the three were exhausted.

Rhianna spent a good hour setting traps all around their camp and then went back to sit in front of the fire where Anders was. Orana said good night and disappeared into her tent.

"Is everything all right, love?" Anders asked Rhianna as she sighed and leaned on his shoulder. He put his arm around her and held her close.

"Even though we've gone through so much these past few months, I'm surprised to say 'yes'," the rogue said in a clear voice. "And now we're starting our new life together…"

"And it will be glorious!" Anders laughed, as he finished her sentence.

"Glorious?" Rhianna smirked. "Maybe. But it will be our life. In freedom."

"And you know what I've always said!" Anders chuckled.

"All you want out of life is a decent meal, a pretty girl and the chance to shoot lightning at fools!" Rhianna looked up at him with adoration.

"That's right!" Anders's lips descended on hers and he kissed her passionately. Then, breaking off the kiss first, he looked deeply into her shining violet eyes, his love for her filling him completely. "Perfection right here!"

…

The End.


End file.
